Metal working press



Nov. 28, 1933. F. J. RODE METAL WORKING PRESS Filed June 10. 932 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 28, 1933. F. J. RODE METAL WORKING PRESS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10, 1932 fig. Z.

NOV. 28, 1933. J. RQDE METAL WORKING PRES S Filed June 10. 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 15 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in metal working presses.

In presses of this character and as usually constructed, considerable difliculty has been experienced in that the ram or die slide when being lowered, and especially where the ram or slide is unevenly loaded with dies, will tilt or move out of its originally set position with respect to the work supporting surface.

Heretofore it has been proposed these objections by the use of one or more power shafts for reciprocating the ram or slide and by connecting such shaft or shafts therewith in a manner that pressure will be exerted therefrom upon the ram or slide at spaced points on opposite sides of the center line intermediate and parallel with the front and rear edges of the ram; and also centers of which are connected to crank throws symmetrically arranged in opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the crank shaft.

While very good results have been obtained by the use of these constructions, they are more or less expensive, necessitating considerable space,

'. as well as providing a great number of parts which require considerable attention.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to improve and simplify the construction of presses of this character by eliminating such complicated mechanisms and to provide means whereby the tendency of the ram or slide to tilt will itself be employed as a means for causing the ram or slide to aright itself, with the result that the lower or die carrying surface or face of the slide will always be maintained in its originally set position with respect to the work supporting surface, in any position of the slide during the cycle of operation'of the press, and against tilting, regardless of the position of the die with respect to the slide, even though the slide is unevenly loaded with dies.

A further object is to provide an improved construction of this character which is applicable with equal efficiency in either a singleor a double action press.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention and in which Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a portion of a single action press vof this character to overcome by means of the use of rock shafts, the

constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, with parts broken away, as taken on line 2-2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional viewtaken on line 33, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view partly in elevation partly in section, partly broken away and with parts omitted, of a double action press constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on line 5-5, Figure 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and to the form of the invention shown in Fig ures 1 to 3, the numeral 10 designates generally the bed of the press upon which is mounted a die 11. Rising above the press bed are uprights 12 connected at their top by means of a crown or head 13.

Journaled in the uprights 12 and extending across the space therebetween adjacent the crown is a shaft 14 provided with cranks 15 which are connected by-means of links 16 with a ram or slide 17 movable in guides .or ways 18 secured to 19 which cooperates with the die 11.

the uprights 12. Carried by the ram 17 is a die The shaft 12 is driven from any suitable source I of power, not shown.

All of the above referred to parts are of the ordinary and well known construction.

ing. In carrying out this invention there provided along the uprights 12, preferably along the guides 18, upright racks or spaced series of teeth 20, one of such racks being provided adjacent each corner of the ram 17.

Journaled in the ram or slide and extending across and adjacent each of the ends thereof is a shaft 21, the ends of which terminate adjacent the front and rear faces of the ram or slide 17, and carried by each of these shafts 21 are gears 22 which are positioned adjacent and mesh with the racks 20. These shafts at any Point intermediate the top and bottom 22 may be arranged the slide. The rack teeth as well as the teeth on the gears 22 are preferably of a substantial length.

In the operation of the press it will be manifest that the ram or slide will be reciprocated from the crank shaft 14 and as the gear 22 will roll over the racks during such reciprocating movement, it will be manifest that the reciprocation of the ram will not be interfered with. However, should there be any tendency of the ram or slide 17 to tilt or move out of its originally set position with respect to the supporting surface of the bed 10 of the press, by reason of the slide or ram being unevenly loaded with dies, or-if the die 19 is not properly set, it will be immediately overcome by'reason of the fact that any pressure upon the ram or slide which tends to tilt the same will be manifested upon the racks and gears, and as these racks and gears are always in mesh, such pressure which would tend to tilt the ram or slide will be immediately transferred through the gear and rack construction to the opposite side of the ram or slide, thereby causing the latter toaright itself so as to maintain the ram or slide against tilting movement.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5, adouble action press is illustrated and in which the ram or slide 23 which carries a work holder 24 is reciprocated in guides 25 carried by the uprights 26, by means of links 2'7 connected thereto through the medium of the adjustable screw connection 28 and which links are connected to a suitably operated crank shaft 29.

The slide 23 is hollow and reciprocable therein is another slide 30 to which a. punch or die 31 is connected. This slide 30 is connected by means of links 32 to another crank shaft 33 suitably operated. The die or work holder 24 co-operates with a dieor work holder 34 secured to the bed 35 of the press. This die or work holder 34 encompasses a die 36 which latter co-operltes with the die or punch 31.

The inner die or punch 30 is provided with portions 37 which move in guideways 38 in the inner face of the outer slide 23 and arranged lengthwise of the guideways 38 are racks 39-, the teeth of which are of a substantial length.

Carried by the slide 30 to extend across and adjacent each. end thereof, and joumaled in suitable bearings is a'shaft 40 which has secured to it and at each endthereof a gear 41". These gears 41 are arranged adjacent and mesh with the respective racks 39 so that during the movement of the slides 2330, one with respect to the other, the gears 41 will roll over the racks 39 so as'not to interfere with the relative movement of these parts.

If, during the operation of the press and when the slide 30 is depressed through the medium of the links 32, there is any tendency .to-cause the die 31 or slide. 30 to tilt or move out of its originally set position with respectto the work supporting surface of the bed 35, such'tendency would be manifest upon the gears and racks 41-39 and as the gears and racks are always in mesh, this tendency will be immediately transferred from one side of the slide 30 to the other side thereof with the result that it will operate to cause the slide 30 and die 31 to aright themselves to overcome such tendency to tilt and" thereby maintain the slide ing movement.

30 against such tilta With both of the forms of the invention it will be manifest that no matterwhere the pressure is' exerted upon the slide or at what-point the tendency to tilt is manifested, such tendency will immediately serve asa force or power which is transferred to the opposite side of the slide and there operate to draw down or prevent this last mentioned side of. the slide from rising.

While the preferred forms of the invention have been herein shown and described. It is to be understood that various changes maybe made in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:-

1. In a press, a frame, a reciprocable die'slide operable therein, a shaft operably mounted in the frame, a direct connection between the slide and the shaft, and means independent of the connecting means between the said shaft and slide and operating automatically whereby when pressure is exerted upon the slide on one side of the center thereof tending to tilt the slide, the portion of the slide on the other side of such center will be correspondingly moved and the slide will aright itself and will be maintained against tilting.

2. In a press, a frame, a reciprocable die slide operable therein, a. shaft operably mounted in the frame, means connecting the slide with the shaft, and means remote from the connection between the shaft and slide and operating automatically when pressure is exerted upon the slide on one side of the center thereof tending to tilt the slide, the portion of the slide on the other side of such center will be correspondingly moved and the slide will aright itself and will be maintained against tilting.

In a press, a frame, a reciprocable die slide operable therein, a shaft operably mounted in the frame, means directly connecting the slide with the shaft whereby the latter will be reciprocated, and means disconnected from the slide reciprocating means and remote therefrom and operating automatically to maintain the slide against tilting during its movement under pressure regardless of the point or area at which said pressure is applied to the slide.

4. In a press, a frame, a reciprocable die slide operable therein, a shaft operably mounted in the frame, means directly connecting the slide with the shaft whereby the latter will be reciprocated, and positively operating means independent of the slide reciprocating means and operating automatically to maintain the slide against tilting during its movement under pressure regardless of the point or area at which said pressure is applied to the slide.

5. In a press, a frame, a die slide reciprocable therein, means for reciprocating the slide, and

slide reciprocable in the frame, a direct connection between the shaft and slide for reciprocating the latter, and gear and rack connections between said slide and a portion of the press structure and operating automatically to neutraliz'e any tendency of the slide to tilt during its movement under such pressure, regardless of the point or area of such slide at which such p essure is applied.

7. In a press, a frame, a die slide reciprocable therein, means for reciprocating the slide, and means other than said reciprocating means operating automatically to neutralize any tendency of the slide to tilt during its movement under such pressure,.regardless of the point or area of such slide at which such pressure is applied, the second recited means embodying gear and.

rack connections between the slide and a stationary part of the press.

8. In a press, a frame, a die slide reciprocable therein, a shaft joumaled in the frame, means connecting the slide with the shaft for reciprocation thereby, racks connected with stationary portions of the frame, and gears carried by the slide, meshing with and movable over the respective racks when the slide is reciprocated, said gears and racks operating to cause any pressure exerted upon the slide on one side of the center thereof to be distributed equally over the area of the slide for maintaining the slide against tilting.

9. In a press, a frame, a die slide reciprocable in the frame, a shaft joumaled in the frame, connections between the slide and said shaft whereby the former will be reciprocated by the latter, upright racks secured to the frame adjacent the path of movement of the ends of the slide, and laterally spaced gears joumaled at the ends of the slide and meshing with the respective said racks.

10. In a press, a frame, a die slide reciprocable in the frame, a shaft joumaled in the frame, connections between the slide and said shaft whereby the former will be reciprocated by the latter, upright racks secured to the frame adjacent the path of movement of the ends of the slide, freely rotatable shafts joumaled in the slide and extending across the same, and gears carried by the shafts and meshing with the said racks.

11. In a double action press a frame, a pair of telescoping slides reciprocable therein, shafts joumaled in the press frame and individual to the slides, connections directly between the shafts and the respective slides for reciprocating them, and gear and rack connections between the said slides, one of they parts of each of the connections being carried by each of the slides and bodily reciprocable therewith.

12. In a double action press a frame, telescoping slides reciprocable therein, shafts joumaled in the frame, connections directly between the shafts and the respective slides for reciprocatin them, and means with respect to which the said shafts and the'said connections are entirely independent, for automatically maintaining the slides against tilting one with respect to the other during their movement under pressure, regardless of the point or area at which such pressure is exerted upon the slides.

13. In a press frame, an inner and an outer slide capable of relative sliding movements, both co-operating with shaping dies, guiding surfaces between the slides, a driving shaft, a link connection between said shaft and said inner slide, and means other than said guiding surfaces operating to maintain the inner slide against tilting on an axis intersecting the axis of the driving shaft, regardless of the point or area at which pressure is exerted upon said inner slide.

14. In a metal working press, a driving shaft, a slide, a direct connection between said shaft and said slide and operating upon the slide to reciprocate the latter, and additional means independent of said connection and operating directly upon said slide to maintain the latter against tilting in a direction to intersect the axis of the driving shaft.

15. In a press, a frame, a die slide reciprocable therein, means for reciprocating the slide, and means entirely independent of the said reciprocating means, operating automatically to neutralize any tendency of the slide to tilt during its movement under such pressure regardless of the point or area of such slide at which such pressure is applied, the last recited means embodying an element rotatable about a fixed axis. 

